Physician & Hospital Negligence

Pursuing justice in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Lunas, Belen, Bernallilo, Santa Fe and throughout the state

Physician and hospital errors are more common than people realize. The American Association for Justice reports that preventable medical errors are in fact the sixth biggest killer in America, resulting in approximately 98,000 fatalities every year. Many more people suffer serious, debilitating injuries, yet hospitals and doctors have made shockingly little progress in reducing this statistic. In contrast, researchers spend millions of dollars annually on preventing the top four killers, which are heart disease, cancer, stroke and lower respiratory disease.

Revo Smith Law was founded in Albuquerque in 1979 to advocate for injured patients and their families in New Mexico hospitals. Our dedicated attorneys hold your doctors and the medical facilities responsible for injuries that you or your loved one sustained because of hospital, doctor nurse practitioner and physician assistant negligence.

Liability of healthcare facilities

Hospitals are responsible for the actions of their employees under the doctrine of vicarious liability — or respondeat superior. This means that a hospital is liable for the mistakes made by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, dieticians and staff acting in their employment capacities. In addition, hospitals have a duty to establish safety protocols and procedures, and to properly train employees.

Common errors in New Mexico hospitals

During our 37 years in practice, our medical malpractice law firm has witnessed the tragic effects of hospital and physician errors. Among the many medical mistake claims we have handled are:

Misdiagnosis — The failure of your doctor to consult with a specialist or order diagnostic tests may result in misdiagnosis of your medical condition

Slow response to an emergency — You may not get the appropriate and prompt care you need because of insufficient emergency room staff in a poorly equipped facility

Obstetrical mistakes — Birth injuries are devastating and usually preventableDelays in laboratory analysis — The loss of tissue specimens by the medical lab can detrimentally delay your treatment

Surgical errors — Your surgical team is responsible for mistakes made during an operation

Fall — You may have fallen because the hospital staff inadequately monitored you

Prescription drug errors — Overworked nurses, busy doctors and understaffed hospital pharmacies can contribute to the likelihood of you receiving the wrong medication or incorrect dose

Unsterile environment — Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are spread between patients when nurses and staff do not undertake effective sterilization measuresAnesthesia errors — Too much anesthesia can result in traumatic brain damage and death; too little can leave a patient conscious through an excruciating surgery